Barry helps marketing teams, agencies, and brands move past the hype and build AI into the way they actually work — faster, smarter, and more creatively. The three offerings below are starting points. Most engagements evolve into something more specific once we talk.
Barry has spent 35+ years inside agencies, on the client side, and running AI-powered platforms — with a track record of moving teams from strategy decks to working systems. CEO of Media Kitchen for 16 years, he led the company through complete digital transformation from print-first to 90%+ digital and won multiple Agency of the Year awards. Most recently he served as President of Inuvo, an AI-powered ad tech platform built on proprietary language models for privacy-safe targeting.
Barry has stepped out of that operating role and is spending this chapter doing what he finds most useful: helping teams actually integrate AI into how they work day-to-day — not just talk about it. That means advisory work and short workshops while he figures out what the next longer-term role looks like.
He lectures at Columbia and Baruch, has published 90+ articles in AdAge, MediaPost, Fast Company, and AdWeek, and invests in early-stage AI and ad tech companies through Gaingels and TBD Angels. He's also a proud board member of Compass Community Center, South Florida's largest LGBTQ+ organization.
Every engagement is hands-on, practical, and built around your actual workflow — not a generic AI playbook. The methodology is straightforward. The judgment that makes it work isn't.
A structured two-to-three week sprint that moves your team from AI curiosity to AI fluency. We identify real friction points, form small teams, and vibe-code practical prototypes that actually solve daily problems. The goal isn't theory — it's a working MVP your team built themselves.
Teams of 5–50 2–3 Weeks Hands-OnA discovery-first diagnostic that reveals exactly where AI can save your team time, money, and cognitive load. Through stakeholder interviews and workflow analysis, Barry identifies your highest-leverage opportunities and delivers a clear, decision-ready roadmap — not a 60-slide deck.
Discovery Roadmap ActionableA practical class on building real professional relationships in the age of AI — for marketers, executives, and operators who want to grow their network with intention. Covers frameworks for outreach, conversation, follow-through, and building community that actually compounds over time.
Marketers Executives OperatorsIf your problem doesn't fit neatly into a workshop or diagnostic, that's usually where Barry is most useful. Bring the problem — whether it's a strategy question, a team that's stuck, a board presentation, or something you can't quite name yet. Figure it out together from there.
Advisory Fractional Bring the ProblemComputers finally speak our language. You don't need to learn code — you need to learn how to describe what you want. Tinkerfest creates the permission structure, the social support, and the practical environment for your team to experience that shift firsthand.
When a marketer watches a tool translate their rough description into a working prototype, something changes. The conversation shifts from "is this technically possible?" to "what do we want to build next?" That's the moment Tinkerfest is designed to create.
Teams have used Tinkerfest to build executive summary generators, compliance content translators, and custom reporting dashboards — in hours, not months. Most clients find the engagement evolves well beyond this starting point.
Choose a single, intuitive vibe-coding platform. Lovable, Replit, or equivalent. One month of access, no technical barriers to entry.
Small teams of two. The buddy system turns intimidation into a shared social activity — and accelerates learning by 10x.
Each team names one specific daily pain point: a report that takes too long, a repetitive workflow that drains energy.
A few focused hours to build something that actually works for them. Functional usefulness, not polish. The goal is a working MVP.
Teams present what they built. One person's solution sparks three new ideas. The culture shift happens here, in real time.
Most AI investments fail not because the tools are bad — but because teams adopt them without understanding where they actually help. Workflow Friction Mapping starts with the real work, not with the technology.
Through structured stakeholder interviews and workflow analysis, Barry surfaces the highest-leverage opportunities in your content operations, campaign production, reporting, and communications — then delivers a clear, prioritized roadmap your team can act on immediately.
The outcome: a small set of proven AI workflows your team is confident using, guidance on which tools to standardize on, and a shared understanding of what "AI adoption" actually means for your organization. Most clients find the work opens up bigger questions worth solving together.
Structured stakeholder interviews to map current workflows, identify bottlenecks, and assess AI readiness across teams and tools.
Synthesis of findings into a prioritized view of where AI creates the most leverage — by role, workflow, and business impact.
Clear guidance on which AI tools to adopt, which to avoid, and which workflows to build or buy — with emphasis on fast ROI and ease of governance.
Practical rules for how your team uses AI — when to use it, how to prompt it, how to check the output, and how to keep it on-brand. Built to be used immediately and refined as you learn.
A concise, decision-ready recommendation — not a 60-slide deck. Clear priorities, quick wins, and medium-term bets your leadership can act on.
I've built a career on relationships. Now I'm teaching everything I know — in a hands-on class designed for people who find networking awkward, forced, or just confusing. You'll leave with a real system, real confidence, and a real list of people to contact.
Build a spreadsheet: Name, Job Title, Company, Email, Phone, Notes. You'll be surprised how long the list gets. Start emailing — but not everyone at once. Send a few coffee invites, learn from the responses, and adjust. Low stakes, high return.
Comment thoughtfully on posts from people you want to meet. Like their content. Share your own ideas. Do it a few times before reaching out. By the time you send a message, you're familiar — not a stranger. This is the lowest-risk way to get noticed.
Upload your resume and LinkedIn to Claude. Tell it what kind of role or company you're targeting. Ask it to suggest companies, then specific names and titles. Verify on LinkedIn. Find emails using Hunter.io. Then have Claude draft your outreach. The whole process takes an hour.
Find someone who looks more uncomfortable than you feel. The person staring at their phone isn't busy — they're hiding. They want to talk to you.
Lead with a smile and an extended hand. Stand in the bar line — it's the easiest place to start a conversation with someone heading there alone.
Stop talking. Start listening. Breathe. Let them speak. Don't fill every silence. Ask: "What made you come tonight?" People love talking about themselves — and hate it when you only talk about yourself.
Don't get trapped. Exit gracefully: "Really good to meet you — glad we're connected now." Show your QR code before you leave. Success = a few quality conversations, not talking to everyone.
Barry shares networking tips, AI workflow ideas, and industry observations regularly on LinkedIn.
Connect on LinkedInBarry has run agencies, led AI platforms, advised founders, and taught at universities. This isn't advisory from the sidelines — it's counsel from someone who's been in the room, made the calls, and lived with the outcomes.
Led marketing, sales, and revenue operations for an AI-driven advertising platform (NYSE: INUV) using proprietary language models for privacy-safe, cookieless targeting. Repositioned the company around its AI capabilities, launched AI-as-a-Service offerings, expanded the client base across technology, retail, nonprofit, and automotive sectors, and drove significant revenue growth. Stepped out in 2025 to focus on advisory and workshop work.
Advise founders, executive teams, and boards on embedding AI into marketing and business workflows. Design and facilitate Tinkerfest workshops, conduct workflow friction mapping engagements, and help organizations move from experimentation to real, production-scale adoption. Angel investor via Gaingels and TBD Angels; mentor with StartOut and Entrepreneurs Roundtable.
Built and led an award-winning media agency through complete digital transformation — from print-first to 90%+ digital revenue. Scaled to 100+ employees and $20M+ revenue. Co-founded Varick Media Management, one of the industry's first agency-side programmatic trading desks. Won MediaPost Agency of the Year for Programmatic, Mobile, and Social. Managed several hundred million dollars in annual billings for clients including Vanguard, Goldman Sachs, and PINK.
Media Director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty (2001–2006), leading a 13-person department with $350M+ in billings across global brands including Levi's and ING Direct. Media Director and Partner at Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners (1992–2001) with $400M+ in billings. Brand Media Manager at Grey Advertising on the P&G/Pantene Pro-V launch. Media Planner at Backer Spielvogel Bates. Group Assistant at NW Ayer. Managing Principal at HookMedia, one of the earliest digital media agencies.
90+ published articles. Quoted in the WSJ, NYT, Bloomberg TV, and Crain's NY Business. View all publications →
Barry teaches AI in marketing and digital transformation at two of New York's top business schools — translating complex technical concepts for business audiences who need to act, not just understand.
An MBA in marketing from Baruch, an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, and more than three decades of hands-on experience that no classroom could fully replicate.
Whether you need a workshop, a diagnostic, a fractional leader, or just a smart conversation about a problem you can't quite name yet — bring it. That's usually where the most useful work begins.
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